Monday, March 31, 2014

Tonight was a marathon night of creating for Heart 2 Heart challenges in the month of March, as the deadline is fast approaching by hours.

The first week was a Triple Play challenge. It was the 3rd day of the 3rd month, so the challenge was to create a card using three of something on your card. With Easter fast approaching, I created a card with three bunnies . . .

The second week was Feeling Lucky. While a card with shamrocks would have been appropriate, I decided to create a card that could be given to someone who makes me feel lucky for being in my life. Here is my card:

The third week was the Pantone challenge, to use a combination of colors from the fashion world. I used Smoothie, Honey, and Sky, although some of the color in mine was second generation to get the desired result, and I did add a couple of other shades. Here is my design . . .

The final challenge was Country Flair. For that challenge I found an old paper pack with some patchwork design and created what looked like a view of the country. What says country like a tire swinging from a tree!

I might not have thought it possible to create four cards in one evening, but the inspiration was fabulous.

All product used in these creations was from Close To My Heart . . . using up my stash!

Sunday, March 30, 2014

I was blessed this weekend to spend Thursday thru Sunday at a crop with friends, and one of those friends inspired me to create a card.

Hmmm . . . inspired or challenged? It might have been more like a challenge. She had purchased a stamp that she loved for the amount of detail it had within the image, but she was struggling with how to use the stamp.

It didn't take me long to figure out why. The detail is gorgeous, but it ends with the shape of the stamp. It doesn't taper off and fade out. So I was challenged to create something using the stamp and I used Merry Monday Christmas Challenge to create a card. The challenge was to create a card using grey, red and white. Here is my design . . .

I used Memento Gray Flannel ink layered with Versamark for the image. I then clear embossed, and it gave a glisten that really added to the image. We tried ink alone, which was also gorgeous.

And there was another card where Santa was showing thru a window, but alas the internet was not cooperating and would not upload the photo.

Another Christmas card done, with thanks to my friend for the challenge!

Ombre/Gradient was Challenge #3 at AEI(Heart)U. So I pulled out my Written in the Stars Stamp set and some ink and got to work creating a gradient sky for my stars . . . darkest in the deep sky and lighter as you get lower.

I clear embossed my stars on white cardstock prior to inking up my sky. The sentiment is embossed in black.

Friday, March 28, 2014

There is this amazing stamp group that I belong to called StampNation. I've been a member for a couple of years now, and for a minimal fee each month I have access to over 400 videos, numerous tutorials, a gallery full of photos of member creations, and the ability to converse with some very creative people from all over the globe. It has also afforded me the opportunity to discover stamp companies I never new existed . . . which is awesome if you are a crazy stamper like me.

So when StampNation had their birthday a few months back, I was introduced to Reverse Confetti. They have some absolutely adorable and whimsical stamps, and here is one of their latest which I could not wait to play with . . .

I started with the March Sketch from Reverse Confetti's blog. I just had to turn these bunnies into Peeps! I stamped my images onto some of the solid colors of Carta Bella paper from the 6 x 6 pad I was working with, and after they were die cut, I covered them in Versamark and embossed to get that sugary sparkle.

You know that Spring is on the horizon when the Peeps show up in the stores.

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Another Kit Club Wednesday, and another card to save my collecting hobby. Today I'm playing with my stamps and dies from The Stamp of Life. I used a sketch from Clean & Simple Stamping, and here is my design . . .

This just screams SPRING!!!! There's wet and snowy weather in the forecast.

Monday, March 24, 2014

I happened upon another new challenge that I've never participated in before. It is the Fusion Card Challenge where you have a photo inspiration and a sketch. You can use one or the other, or you can use both. I decided to use both to create my card . . .

The pattern paper for my card is a Stampin' Up holiday paper from last year, but I thought it would work perfectly for this design. I created my focal panel using Lucky Limeade and Summer Starfruit. My sentiment is a simple "hi" so that my inside could be anything I wanted.

Here is the Fusion sketch/photo . . .

Supplies
Used - Fusion "Hi" Card

Cardstock, Designer Series Paper, Ribbon, Stamps and
Ink are all Stampin' Up

Sunday, March 23, 2014

There was a section of the pattern paper that had clouds, and I cut the smallest two balloons from those clouds. The stars were filled in with Liquid Pearls. My sentiment was stamped using Avery Elle pigment ink with clear embossing powder.

My balloon strings were created using white pigment ink from Color Box and then clear embossed.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Freshly Made Sketches had a great sketch this week, and while I didn't link up, I did play along. I decided to add a bit of a challenge to myself, and that was a white space challenge. I decided to use a white card base for the card, and I did what I could to keep the white space white! (This is no easy task for me.)

Here is my design . . .

Inking all of the edges made a huge difference in defining the images on this card, but I had to be extra careful not to get any ink smudges, as that would have resulted in "cover ups" which means a loss of white space.

I used scraps of paper to create my crayons. I have to say I was stamping "hello" onto each of the crayon images . . . dead center horizontally, and then I realized that the crayons would not all have "hello" showing exactly right . . . depending on how the crayon rolled. So I got super anal and stamped off the the edge. (Yes - I'm nuts!)

I let my pattern paper do more of the talking on this card, choosing to stamp my sentiment only. There were three stamps to make up the sentiment, and I think I spent most of my time trying to figure out where to stamp it and how to separate the three pieces. Decisions, decisions.

Here is the sketch that inspired the card, along with the supplies used . . .

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

I let my pattern paper do most of the talking on this one, so the challenge was finding the right combinations so that they blend together well and one doesn't overpower another. I was pleased with the result.

Here is the sketch that inspired my design, along with the supplies used.

Monday, March 17, 2014

I made an attempt to combine some challenges to create this card. One was a color challenge to combine Certainly Celery, Tangerine Tango and Basic Gray to create a card (which was the Color Throwdown Challenge, but I did not enter this card due to timing). The second was a doodle challenge with my online stamp group at StampNation (by far the best online group that I've ever had the privilege of being involved). And the third is a new challenge I stumbled on while perusing blogger the other night, and that is Virginia's View Challenge. Their challenge was to create a watercolor card.

So here combines the colors, the doodles and watercolor . . .

I'm not sure that the Basic Gray lends itself to being the best for watercolor, but I certainly had some fun creating this card.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

I've been playing along with The Card Concept since the challenge started up this year. It's a great challenge that asks you to identify your style. Here is the fifth challenge for The Card Concept.

I think I gained five pounds just looking at those cake pops. They look absolutely yummy.

Now I typically go with "Clean and Layered" as my style, and today was no different. Instead of using a pattern/designer paper, I created my own. Here is my design . .

The balloon stamps were from Lil' Inker Designs, and it required
some pretty serious masking to get the effect I was looking for, which
was a lot of balloons. I used Scotch's 2-inch Post-It tape for my masks, and I kept the bottom couple of inches of my panel white so I could stamp my sentiment. The ribbon border covers the separation.

Another creation for Seize the Sketch, and this one features one of my favorite things. Coffee! I can never resist a stamp set that has anything to do with coffee, and the one from Reverse Confetti did not deter me. The fact that it had separate little stamps for the coffee in your cup just made it irresistible.

Here is my design . . .

I paper-pieced my coffee cup. I stamped using green embossing powder on the cup, and the coffee is on brown cardstock using clear embossing powder (check out that adorable coffee swirl).

Saturday, March 15, 2014

This week's Merry Monday Challenge was to use chocolate brown, green gold and white or cream on a Christmas card.

Do you see any layering on this card? Well, sure. You see the
layering of the cardstock and pattern paper on the card. But there are
two other places I layered, and it's all about embossing powder.

The letters "j" and "y" were stamped using a Little Inkers stamp, and I inked it up in Versamark first and then in Stampin' Up's Lucky Limeade ink. What's great about that is that your ink is on top and hits the paper first, and then the Versamark is the top layer and you can emboss with clear embossing powder.

The bell was cut from a Little Inkers die. I then covered it in gold ink and clear embossed . . . and then gold ink and clear embossed . . . and then gold ink and clear embossed. Layers of gold goodness.

I have been falling in love with a few "news stamp companies. While the companies themselves may not be new, they are new to me. One of those is Avery Elle. I've discovered their stamps and I've discovered their new pigment ink, and I'm loving both of them right now.

I came across AEI(heart)U Challenge this week, and I just had to play along. The challenge was to use embellishments. Here is my creation . . .

I used two Avery Elle stamp sets for this card. The bicycle is from Roll With It and the border is from Link It Up.

For my embellishments (after all, that was the challenge) I used some rhinestones and a wood stick pin, both from Little Yellow Bicycle.

Now that awesome bicycle image reminds me of my younger years . . . my friend had a bicycle built for two and there was something nostalgic about riding around town on that bike. Great memories and great fun creating.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

It's another Kit Kraft Wednesday, and if you follow my blog, you know the rule. If you don't use your monthly kits that come in the mail, than you have to cancel them. (Not happening.)

So today I played with a recent arrival: my March Simon Says Stamp Card Kit. I decided to use the sketch from CAS(E) this Sketch, and here is the sketch.

And here is my design . . .

I had this idea that the sun shines in the sky, above the clouds and produces rainbows down below. So I used a sun print paper for one rectangle, the sky/cloud paper for another and displayed a rainbow below.

With the exception of my ink and some clear embossing powder, all supplies are from my kit (which is awesome).

About Me

I'm just me. I like to play with paper, fabric and stamps. I love the latest gadgets and tools. I only wish I wasn't tired after a long day at the office, and that I could find a paper trimmer that is the ultimate in perfection! Who doesn't want that?